Philippines nudged to invite British aircraft carrier for joint sail, drills in South China Sea

THE Philippines should invite a Brit-ish Navy carrier group for a joint sail and combined maritime exercises in the South China Sea to reinforce international order in the contested waters following recent flare-ups between Manila and Beijing, security analysts said at the weekend.

- By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio Reporter

"Inviting the British carrier group is not an option but is a must as the two nations are eyeing a military pact," Chester B. Cabalza, founding president at Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

"The UK is known to the world as a leading bearer of international, rules-based order, and it is just fitting for London and Manila to conduct a joint sail and flight for the sake of freedom of navigation and overflight," he added.

The UK Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales and its accompanying warships have embarked on an eight-month deployment across parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in an effort to uphold international order, according to a Royal Navy statement.

The carrier group will conduct sea and air exercises with regional allies along its mission path, spanning the Mediterranean, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Australia.